New York to Install Battery Storage for Bus and Subway System Operator

American Vanadium Corp., owner of the only known U.S. deposit of vanadium, agreed to install an energy storage system designed to cut power costs for the firm that operates New York’s buses and subways. The $1.2 million project will showcase three vanadium-flow batteries which are capable of storing 130 kilowatt-hours each. Unlike standard lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries, vanadium-flow batteries can be charged and discharged indefinitely and can last as long as 20 years. The Metropolitan Transport Authority plans to charge the batteries at night when power is cheap and utilize them when energy is more expensive.

RWE Stakes in Its First U.K. Solar Park

RWE AG, the German utility that reduced its renewable unit’s spending by two-thirds, is now funding construction of its first U.K. solar park. The 37 MW Kencot Hill Solar Farm, to be built by Conergy U.K. Ltd., will be one the largest in the country. The park is projected to provide power to 10,000 households and is scheduled to start operating in late summer. RWE, providing technical and financial support, agreed to sell the facility to Foresight Solar Fun Limited once constructed.

Coal-Ash Disposal May Cost Up to $10 Billion, Says Duke

Duke Energy Corp. told a North Carolina legislative commission that if it were required to excavate and relocate all its ash in the state and convert to an all-dry handling system, it would take as long as three decades and costs would reach up to $10 billion. The commission met recently to discuss Duke’s response to a Feb. 2 spill of about 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River which has triggered investigations and subpoenas.

Marubeni Completes Large Solar-Power Station in Oita

Marubeni Corp., a Japanese trading firm, has completed a huge 82 megawatt solar power station in the southwestern prefecture of Oita. The solar plant , said to be the largest in the country, began operations last March 12, says the Tokyo-based company. Marubeni is also completing the construction of a 28.3 megawatt solar station in Miyagi prefecture in the northern part of the country, the company said earlier this month.